


Me Pones Nervioso

by MALLR4TS



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Dancing, F/M, First Kiss, Fishing, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Party, Slow Burn, Slow Dancing, Spanish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-15
Updated: 2019-09-15
Packaged: 2020-10-19 12:43:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20657447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MALLR4TS/pseuds/MALLR4TS
Summary: Javier messes up his first impression when you meet him. Embarrassed, he results to only speaking to you in Spanish, as he's too nervous to mess up again.The reader is gender-neutral! Second chapter is entirely English for peeps who cba to translate it all.





	1. Spanish Version

**Author's Note:**

> Feels weird not writing smut lol. Pls kudos/comment/critique if you enjoyed :^)
> 
> Twitter and Tumblr are @MALLR4TS

You were new to the gang. They had saved you after O'driscolls had slaughtered your animals, burnt your crops, and set your farmhouse on fire. Your home and family were gone.   
They originally showed up to rob your home whilst you slept, hearing of your comfortable income, but it soon became a gang war and the Van Der Lindes were quick to take your side.   
You were saved and taken in. They offered you safety back at their camp, and you quickly accepted their offer, not having anywhere else to go.

They seemed to have some morals. Arthur had told you on your way back to camp how a while ago, the gang went to rob a carriage, only to find it had women and children inside, so they left them to it. They later heard that the O'driscolls robbed the same carriage later down their path, and slaughtered everyone. 

You were thankful they were here, even if it was to originally rob you. 

Clemens Point. It was a lovely camp, south from where you lived, and close to Rhodes, a somewhat local town for you. 

You arrived during the dead of night in the company of Arthur, Lenny, and Hosea. Arthur helped you off his horse whilst one of the women put a blanket around you and took you over to their tents, reassuring Arthur that they would take good care of you. 

You were frightened, shaking. You had every right to be. 

Hosea explained everything to Dutch, and he calmly welcomed you to the camp, telling you you could say as long as you wanted to. 

You felt safe. 

The next morning you awoke before everyone else, though your nights rest was interupted with nightmares. You got up from your temporary bed and made your way to the campfire, warming yourself up by it as the cold morning air surrounded you.   
A short while later you could hear someone approaching you, you turned, somewhat startled, but calmed quickly as you saw it was only Arthur approaching.  
"Mornin Miss (L/N), didn't mean to scare ya'," he said as he sat besides you.   
"Oh it's not your fault. I'm just so on edge, but i'll calm eventually," you replied.  
"You take your time. You have every reason t'be feelin like this," he lit a cigarette as he spoke.   
"Mhmm," you said as you nodded.

The two of you sat in silence for a while. By the time he had finished his cigarette, most of the camp was awake. Arthur offered you a hand as he stood up and said he'd introcude you to everyone. You smiled and accepted it. 

Arthur took his time introducing you to every member the two of you came across. They were all so lovely and welcoming, though he didn't introduce you to Micah as he said "this ones a rat, whole camp hates him. Dunno why we keep him really, Dutch's orders I suppose," and shrugged. 

Sean seemed overly welcoming and had the personality of someone who was constantly tipsy, though he may be. He mades sure to let you know that you'd feel like a member of the family in no time.  
Charles gave you his deepest condolences, and offered you a shoulder to cry on if you ever needed it. Along with offering to take you hunting if you ever wanted a distraction.   
Swanson said he would pray for your speedy recovery and assured you your family would be very welcomed into heaven. You wondered why a man of God was drinking himself to death.

The two of you continued to wonder around camp.   
"Ahh! There he is!" Arthur said as he gestured to the tanned man helping himself to a cup of coffee.   
"(Y/N), this is Javier. He's a real charmer," Arthur teased as he nudged you.   
Javier looked up at you from his coffee and you could have sworn you saw him tense up. His eyes widened slightly, and he came to a halt, somewhat in shock.   
"Well don't just stare at her, Javier. Say hello to the lady. This aint like you t'be ignorin' a woman," Arthur said to him.   
"Uh.. Hola," Javier sheepishly replied. He seemed shy.. no, stunned? Maybe he hadn't woken up yet.   
"Hello, Javier," you replied to him.   
"Dutch found Javier years ago after he fled Mexico, it's a long story," he whispered the second half of that sentance to you. "He didn't speak a word of English when we met him," Arthur smiled.   
"Sorry, uhh.. excuse me. I've not woken up yet," Javier blurted out as he rushed off to the other side of the camp, staring at the ground as he walked.  
"That was weird. Normally Javier is more.. Javier I guess. Aint seen him so sheepish before, specially not around a woman," Arthur apologised to you.   
"Oh it's okay. I hate first impressions, maybe he does too?" You replied.  
"Mhmm. Ah well, plenty of time to get t'know him," Arthur said as he poured you both a cup of coffee then continued his tour around the camp. 

Later on that day you insisted that you return to your house to collect whatever was left there. Valuables, belongings, food, etc. Arthur warned you how emotional it'd make you, but came with you on the journey. 

Your house was ruined, vanished, forever gone along with everything inside of it. There was nothing to save.   
The barnhouse, however, was still standing and untouched. You went inside to collect a few things: weapons, a tent, some photos that were pinned to the work table in there, and a few more things.   
Feeling somewhat relieved, you headed back to camp, shedding a few tears on the way. You had a bittersweet feeling on the tip of your tongue, as if you had just burried that chapter of your life, and could begin a new one. 

Charles helped you set up your tent. You decided to camp next to Arthur, as the space next to him had a beautiful view of the lake and beach, and because you felt safe camping next to someone who had helped you so much. He later left you to to have some time alone. You sat against a tree and watched the sunset, hoping when the sun rose the next day you would really feel like this was a new chapter for you. There was no going back, only forward. You assured yourself that you can't stand around looking over your shoulder at the past, you must keep moving on.

As night had fallen, you decided to go and socialise a bit. Drinking seemed to be a very big social activity in this group, so you took a beer and sat yourself down at the fire with some others. They welcomed you as you sat.

You mostly listened, learning more about them as a group and individuals. You quickly picked up on small things: Uncle spent most of his time asleep and complaining, John and Abigail were somewhat together and Jack was their son, Dutch had a very fatherly role and had raised some of the members, Micah was one of the newest members to the gang, etc.   
As you people watched, you couldn't help but notice Javier sat diagonally to you. You noticed how his eyes would sometimes flick over to you, he would reguarly rub the back of his neck, lick his lips, bounce his leg.   
"Why are you fidgetin' so much, greaser?" Bill asked as he sat besides him. "It's annoyin, stop it," he grumbled.  
"It's the bugs, Bill. They're all over me tonight," Javier shrugged. You felt it was a lie.   
"Well fuckin' swat em 'n' stop it," Bill replied.   
"Trying my best here, amigo." 

One by one they either passed out or went to bed.   
"Goodnight," you said to John as he got up and made his way over to his tent.  
"G'nite you two," John replied.  
The two of you, referring to yourself and Javier - the fidgety one, the one who had barely spoke to you, the one who ran off when you first met.   
_'Thanks, John,'_ you thought as he left. Not in a mean way, just you were unsure what to talk about. Though you liked a challenge, so you perked up and began speaking to Javier, which caught him off guard.  
"So, Javier. How did you join the camp?" You asked him.   
"I, uhh..," he paused and rubbed the back of his neck. "Dutch me encontró," he replied.  
"What?"   
"Dutch me encontró. Hace mucho tiempo."   
"I don't understand what you're saying," you said as you squinted.   
"Oh Dios. No se como hablar contigo. Eres hermosa y estoy luchando por no hacer el ridículo," he spoke as he rubbed the back of his neck yet again. "Lo siento. Me voy a la cama. Buenas noches."   
Javier stood up and quickly walked off, making his way to his tent. You watched as he plopped himself down on his back, crossed his ankles, and pretended to sleep.   
'What the hell.'

Every encounter with Javier was the same after that. 

Weeks had passed. The gang felt more like home as the days went by. 

By now you fit in very comfortably with everyone, even Javier who continued to only speak Spanish to you. Everybody questioned it, Arthur had even told him off for it, saying it came across like he was trying to be unwelcoming to you. A good few members of the camp found it funny, and you didn't really seem to mind. His confidence had picked up a lot after the first week, by now he spoke to you as if he was speaking to anybody else, just not in English. 

You had just finished your camp chores and found the rest of the sunny day free to do as you pleased. You wandered around camp, seeing what everyone was up to. Near the horses sat Javier, fiddling about with some fishing gear.   
By now, you had developed some questionable feelings towards the Mexican. The two of you had technically never spoke, but you often found yourself dreaming about the stunning tanned man. You adored his long hair, tucked away in his ponytail, shorter strands shapening his strong face. You hoped he'd one day tell you how he got the scar across his brow and one along his neck, in English hopefully. He was always dressed so smartly, which wasn't surprising as he was often cleaning his shoes or brushing the dirt off his clothes.   
He wore one of your favourite outfits today. Black trousers, white shirt, black waistcoat, and orange necktie. He was hatless today, though you did enjoy the sight of him in his bowler hat.   
You approached him. 

"Whatcha doin there, Mr. Escuella?" you asked him. You rarely called him Javier, and your excuse for that was that he'd never introduced himself in English. So until he began to speak English, you would only address him formally. It made him laugh, you enjoyed teasing him.   
"Solo estoy preparando algunos artículos para ir a pescar," he replied as he looked up from where he was sat.   
"Oh, looks like you're sortin' out some fishing equipment," you said as you properly looked in to what he was doing. You often did this, taking notice of whatever his current task was. Seeing as he'd never tell you what he was up to.   
"¿Quieres venir?" Javier asked as he signaled to the two of you, then to the lake.   
"If you're asking if I wanna come, then yeah, I do," you smiled. He smiled back and stood up.   
"Vamonos," Javier replied as the two of you made your way over to your horses.

You climbed onto (H/N), who surprisingly had survived the attack that night. Your horse must had fled when the attack happened, but later showed up at the camp. You assumed (H/N) had tracked you and followed you here. They were a smart horse, well bonded with you. They reminded you of home, but in a happy, loving way. You were glad someone had survived. 

Javier took you to a small lake, a couple of minuets away from the camp. You didn't bother hitching your horse, giving them some time to wonder about and relax.   
Javier stayed silent as he got his rod out and began baiting up, you did the same, standing besides him. The two of you cast out, going in opposite directions. You decided to break the silence.  
"So when are you going to start speaking to me in English?" You asked him.   
"Pronto, tal vez," Javier shrugged.  
"I hope you just said soon,"   
Javier nodded at you.  
"Oh lovely! Nice to know there is a light at the end of the tunnel," you smiled. 

Javier didn't reply as he managed to get a bite. You had heard he was a good fisherman, but didn't expect him to catch anything within seconds of him reeling out.   
He reeled in a decent sized fish, unhooked it, and placed it into the bag beneath his feet. 

The afternoon continued to drift by as the two of you fished in silence. Silence wasn't that bad, you guessed it wasn't as different as the two of you talking, considering you never understood what he was saying. The two of you had reeled in a decent amount of fish, all going to be ruined by Pearsons cooking later.  
You saw in the corner of your eye Javier yawning.   
"Want to head back soon?" you asked him.   
"Cinco minutos mas," Javier replied.   
You recognised that 'cinco' meant five, and minutos clearly meant minuets. So you assumed he said 'five more minuets.'   
Your translating train of thought came to a halt as you felt a harsh tug on your rod, much harder than any you'd ever felt. Javiers eyes snapped open as he saw you get pulled forward slightly by your rod.   
"Eso es un gran bocado," Javier said as he watched you panic and begin to reel in the monster of a catch.   
"Oh shit!" you yelped as it yanked you forward again, almost knocking you over. "A little help please, Javier!"   
Javier dropped his rod and rushed to stand behind you, arms reaching round to grab a hold of your rod, one of them on top of your own. You could feel Javier tense up as he helped pull on the rod, the two of you surprised by how much this beast of a fish was fighting. Javier let out short pants, his breath tickling your neck. You became too aware on how much he was pressed up against you. It felt like he was using helping you out as an excuse to press up against you, and you definitely didn't mind. 

Another harsh tug snapped you out of your daydream as you were yanked forward again. Javiers quick reaction saved you from falling into the lake as he quickly grabbed a hold of your waist. His hand quickly went back to helping you reel in your catch, clearly not wanting to cross too many lines.  
You felt your back press against his shoulder as you leaned back. The two of you fell to the floor as the line snapped, maybe you shouldn't have put some more weight onto the rod. You felt Javier hit the floor underneath you, your back against his chest as you fell on top of him. You were quick to roll off him, looking at him to see if he was alright.  
"Shit! Sorry! I didn't mean to squish you," you said to him.   
"Estoy bien. No puedo creer que se haya escapado," Javier replied, leaning up to prop himself up on his elbows.   
You couldn't help but laugh about it. Javier smiled at you, glad you were enjoying yourself.   
"It's a shame we didn't catch it!" You said as you laughed.   
"La próxima vez," Javier said as he stood up. 

Javier offer you his hand to help you up, to which you gladly accepted. You couldn't help your chest feel warm as his skin pressed against yours, rough palms against each other.   
Once you were up, Javier let go. It felt like he was embarassed, maybe awkward. You questioned what his feelings were toward you, if maybe he viewed you as more than a friend.   
Javier picked up his stuff and whistled for his horse, you did the same. The two of you had a quiet ride back to Clemens Point, though talking wouldn't make much difference.

By the time you were back, the sun had almost set. Whilst away, Dutch had announced they were going to have a party tonight.   
It was nice to see everybody so lively for once. They were always lively, and drunk, but something was different about tonight.   
You wandered around the party, helping yourself to the beer crate whenever you passed it. You felt a comfortable tipsy level, and more social and friendly than usual.   
John had spent a long while drunkenly telling you how glad he was that you'd joined the gang, and how well you fit in here. Sean jumped in to the conversation and heavily agreed with him, saying you're a 'lovely lass,' and that hes glad you decided to stay. You couldn't help but smile as the two of them praised you.   
In the distance, you saw a familiar figure sat alone at the table. You excused yourself and went over to them. 

"Need some company, Mr Escuella?" you asked him as you approached.  
"Siempre necesito tu compañía, hermosa," Javier replied as he gestured for you to sit down at the table. You took your seat.   
"Why are you sat all alone?"   
"Solo estoy pensando."   
"Something on your mind?" You asked. He nodded.   
"Me pregunto cómo empezar a hablar contigo. No puedo evitar estar nervioso a tu alrededor. Tu me vuelves loco."  
"Ah, Javier. When will you learn that I don't understand what you're saying?" you sighed in a jokey tone.   
Both of you looked over your shoulders at the sound of Dutch turning on his phonograph and turning it all the way up. He asked Molly to dance with him, who obviously accepted. Javier snapped his head back around to look at you.   
"Quieres bailar conmigo?" he asked you.   
"Sorry Javi', I dunno what you're saying," you shrugged.   
Javier pointed to the two of you, then to Dutch and Molly.   
"Are you asking me to dance, Mr Escuella?" You asked him.   
"Sí," he replied as he nodded.   
"I'd love to," you said. Javier sprung up from his seat and offered you his hand, which you happily accepted and both made your way to the 'dancefloor.' 

Javiers other arm found its way comfortably around your waist, as your joint hands raised slightly. You put your spare arm on Javiers shoulder, enjoying the feeling of touching him and being held.   
The two of you swayed in time with the music, your chests very few inches apart.   
"So, Mr Escuella. Why is it you can only speak Spanish to me?" you asked.   
"Como dije antes. Eres hermosa y, por una vez, estoy demasiado nerviosa para hablarte inglés. Me preocupa arruinar mis posibilidades," Javier explained, as if you would understand him.   
"Sorry, but I didn't understand a word of that. I think the translating part of your brain might be broken? Is there aything I can do to fix it?" you jokingly asked.  
"Podrías besarme. O simplemente ser mía para siempre," Javier shrugged.   
You exagerated a sigh.   
"Maybe we're just never meant to speak," you teased.   
"No digas eso."   
"You know, when I was a kid, I used to read loads of fantasy books. I read this one where a princess once kissed a frog, and it turned him into a prince. Do you think that would work with you?" You asked him.   
"No me convertiré en un príncipe, pero no rechazaré un beso tuyo," Javier replied as he nodded in agreement.   
"Well then," you said as your other hand left Javiers and found its way around his neck. His other hand met your waist, and pulled you in against him. "I hope this works," you smiled. 

Javier lent in to finally meet your lips, something the two of you had craved for so long. You could feel his arms slip tighter around your waist as he pulled you against him more, as if he had been longing to touch you. His hand came up to cup your cheek, fingers then trailing up to run along your hair, as your lips softly moved against his. He exhaled softly as he pulled away from you, not wanting to cross any boundaries.

"Did it work?" you asked as you slowly pulled away.   
"It did, but I may need another one, just to make sure I don't turn back," Javier flirtingly said. You smiled and wasted no time meeting your lips against his again, this time for much longer. You could overhear someone cheering the two of you on, which made the both of you laugh mid-kiss. 

The two of you pulled away and his hand found its way around your waist again. You rested your head on his shoulder, feeling his cheek lean lightly on your head.   
"Do you want to know a secret, Javier?" You asked him.  
"Okay," he replied. You leaned up to whisper into his ear.   
"Yo también hablo español." You laughed as you felt Javier stop dancing and tense up.   
"You mean.. this whole time?"   
"Sí," you replied, laughing.   
"Oh dios, esto es tan vergonzoso," he pinched the bridge of his nose.   
"You know, I think you're beautiul too. And I've always been nervous to speak to you," you reassured him as you kissed his cheek.   
"Well i'm glad I haven't made too much of a fool of myself," he replied.   
"Eh, only a little bit," you teased, as you lent in to kiss his lips once again, knowing this kiss would be far from the last.


	2. English Version

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lines originally in Spanish are italic.

You were new to the gang. They had saved you after O'driscolls had slaughtered your animals, burnt your crops, and set your farmhouse on fire. Your home and family were gone.   
They originally showed up to rob your home whilst you slept, hearing of your comfortable income, but it soon became a gang war and the Van Der Lindes were quick to take your side.   
You were saved and taken in. They offered you safety back at their camp, and you quickly accepted their offer, not having anywhere else to go.

They seemed to have some morals. Arthur had told you on your way back to camp how a while ago, the gang went to rob a carriage, only to find it had women and children inside, so they left them to it. They later heard that the O'driscolls robbed the same carriage later down their path, and slaughtered everyone. 

You were thankful they were here, even if it was to originally rob you. 

Clemens Point. It was a lovely camp, south from where you lived, and close to Rhodes, a somewhat local town for you. 

You arrived during the dead of night in the company of Arthur, Lenny, and Hosea. Arthur helped you off his horse whilst one of the women put a blanket around you and took you over to their tents, reassuring Arthur that they would take good care of you. 

You were frightened, shaking. You had every right to be. 

Hosea explained everything to Dutch, and he calmly welcomed you to the camp, telling you you could say as long as you wanted to. 

You felt safe. 

The next morning you awoke before everyone else, though your nights rest was interupted with nightmares. You got up from your temporary bed and made your way to the campfire, warming yourself up by it as the cold morning air surrounded you.   
A short while later you could hear someone approaching you, you turned, somewhat startled, but calmed quickly as you saw it was only Arthur approaching.  
"Mornin Miss (L/N), didn't mean to scare ya'," he said as he sat besides you.   
"Oh it's not your fault. I'm just so on edge, but i'll calm eventually," you replied.  
"You take your time. You have every reason t'be feelin like this," he lit a cigarette as he spoke.   
"Mhmm," you said as you nodded.

The two of you sat in silence for a while. By the time he had finished his cigarette, most of the camp was awake. Arthur offered you a hand as he stood up and said he'd introcude you to everyone. You smiled and accepted it. 

Arthur took his time introducing you to every member the two of you came across. They were all so lovely and welcoming, though he didn't introduce you to Micah as he said "this ones a rat, whole camp hates him. Dunno why we keep him really, Dutch's orders I suppose," and shrugged. 

Sean seemed overly welcoming and had the personality of someone who was constantly tipsy, though he may be. He mades sure to let you know that you'd feel like a member of the family in no time.  
Charles gave you his deepest condolences, and offered you a shoulder to cry on if you ever needed it. Along with offering to take you hunting if you ever wanted a distraction.   
Swanson said he would pray for your speedy recovery and assured you your family would be very welcomed into heaven. You wondered why a man of God was drinking himself to death.

The two of you continued to wonder around camp.   
"Ahh! There he is!" Arthur said as he gestured to the tanned man helping himself to a cup of coffee.   
"(Y/N), this is Javier. He's a real charmer," Arthur teased as he nudged you.   
Javier looked up at you from his coffee and you could have sworn you saw him tense up. His eyes widened slightly, and he came to a halt, somewhat in shock.   
"Well don't just stare at her, Javier. Say hello to the lady. This aint like you t'be ignorin' a woman," Arthur said to him.   
_"Uh.. Hello," _Javier sheepishly replied. He seemed shy.. no, stunned? Maybe he hadn't woken up yet.   
"Hello, Javier," you replied to him.   
"Dutch found Javier years ago after he fled Mexico, it's a long story," he whispered the second half of that sentance to you. "He didn't speak a word of English when we met him," Arthur smiled.   
"Sorry, uhh.. excuse me. I've not woken up yet," Javier blurted out as he rushed off to the other side of the camp, staring at the ground as he walked.  
"That was weird. Normally Javier is more.. Javier I guess. Aint seen him so sheepish before, specially not around a woman," Arthur apologised to you.   
"Oh it's okay. I hate first impressions, maybe he does too?" You replied.  
"Mhmm. Ah well, plenty of time to get t'know him," Arthur said as he poured you both a cup of coffee then continued his tour around the camp. 

Later on that day you insisted that you return to your house to collect whatever was left there. Valuables, belongings, food, etc. Arthur warned you how emotional it'd make you, but came with you on the journey. 

Your house was ruined, vanished, forever gone along with everything inside of it. There was nothing to save.   
The barnhouse, however, was still standing and untouched. You went inside to collect a few things: weapons, a tent, some photos that were pinned to the work table in there, and a few more things.   
Feeling somewhat relieved, you headed back to camp, shedding a few tears on the way. You had a bittersweet feeling on the tip of your tongue, as if you had just burried that chapter of your life, and could begin a new one. 

Charles helped you set up your tent. You decided to camp next to Arthur, as the space next to him had a beautiful view of the lake and beach, and because you felt safe camping next to someone who had helped you so much. He later left you to to have some time alone. You sat against a tree and watched the sunset, hoping when the sun rose the next day you would really feel like this was a new chapter for you. There was no going back, only forward. You assured yourself that you can't stand around looking over your shoulder at the past, you must keep moving on.

As night had fallen, you decided to go and socialise a bit. Drinking seemed to be a very big social activity in this group, so you took a beer and sat yourself down at the fire with some others. They welcomed you as you sat.

You mostly listened, learning more about them as a group and individuals. You quickly picked up on small things: Uncle spent most of his time asleep and complaining, John and Abigail were somewhat together and Jack was their son, Dutch had a very fatherly role and had raised some of the members, Micah was one of the newest members to the gang, etc.   
As you people watched, you couldn't help but notice Javier sat diagonally to you. You noticed how his eyes would sometimes flick over to you, he would reguarly rub the back of his neck, lick his lips, bounce his leg.   
"Why are you fidgetin' so much, greaser?" Bill asked as he sat besides him. "It's annoyin, stop it," he grumbled.  
"It's the bugs, Bill. They're all over me tonight," Javier shrugged. You felt it was a lie.   
"Well fuckin' swat em 'n' stop it," Bill replied.   
"Trying my best here, amigo." 

One by one they either passed out or went to bed.   
"Goodnight," you said to John as he got up and made his way over to his tent.  
"G'nite you two," John replied.  
The two of you, referring to yourself and Javier - the fidgety one, the one who had barely spoke to you, the one who ran off when you first met.   
_'Thanks, John,'_ you thought as he left. Not in a mean way, just you were unsure what to talk about. Though you liked a challenge, so you perked up and began speaking to Javier, which caught him off guard.  
"So, Javier. How did you join the camp?" You asked him.   
"I, uhh..," he paused and rubbed the back of his neck._ "Dutch found me,"_ he replied.  
"What?"   
_"Dutch found me. Long time ago." _  
"I don't understand what you're saying," you said as you squinted.   
_"Oh God. I don't know how to talk to you. You're beautiful and I'm struggling not to make a fool of myself," _he spoke as he rubbed the back of his neck yet again. _"I'm sorry. I'm going to bed. Goodnight." _  
Javier stood up and quickly walked off, making his way to his tent. You watched as he plopped himself down on his back, crossed his ankles, and pretended to sleep.   
'What the hell.'

Every encounter with Javier was the same after that. 

Weeks had passed. The gang felt more like home as the days went by. 

By now you fit in very comfortably with everyone, even Javier who continued to only speak Spanish to you. Everybody questioned it, Arthur had even told him off for it, saying it came across like he was trying to be unwelcoming to you. A good few members of the camp found it funny, and you didn't really seem to mind. His confidence had picked up a lot after the first week, by now he spoke to you as if he was speaking to anybody else, just not in English. 

You had just finished your camp chores and found the rest of the sunny day free to do as you pleased. You wandered around camp, seeing what everyone was up to. Near the horses sat Javier, fiddling about with some fishing gear.   
By now, you had developed some questionable feelings towards the Mexican. The two of you had technically never spoke, but you often found yourself dreaming about the stunning tanned man. You adored his long hair, tucked away in his ponytail, shorter strands shapening his strong face. You hoped he'd one day tell you how he got the scar across his brow and one along his neck, in English hopefully. He was always dressed so smartly, which wasn't surprising as he was often cleaning his shoes or brushing the dirt off his clothes.   
He wore one of your favourite outfits today. Black trousers, white shirt, black waistcoat, and orange necktie. He was hatless today, though you did enjoy the sight of him in his bowler hat.   
You approached him. 

"Whatcha doin there, Mr. Escuella?" you asked him. You rarely called him Javier, and your excuse for that was that he'd never introduced himself in English. So until he began to speak English, you would only address him formally. It made him laugh, you enjoyed teasing him.   
_"I'm just preparing some items to go fishing," _he replied as he looked up from where he was sat.   
"Oh, looks like you're sortin' out some fishing equipment," you said as you properly looked in to what he was doing. You often did this, taking notice of whatever his current task was. Seeing as he'd never tell you what he was up to.   
_"Do you want to come?"_ Javier asked as he signaled to the two of you, then to the lake.   
"If you're asking if I wanna come, then yeah, I do," you smiled. He smiled back and stood up.   
_"Let's go,"_ Javier replied as the two of you made your way over to your horses.

You climbed onto (H/N), who surprisingly had survived the attack that night. Your horse must had fled when the attack happened, but later showed up at the camp. You assumed (H/N) had tracked you and followed you here. They were a smart horse, well bonded with you. They reminded you of home, but in a happy, loving way. You were glad someone had survived. 

Javier took you to a small lake, a couple of minuets away from the camp. You didn't bother hitching your horse, giving them some time to wonder about and relax.   
Javier stayed silent as he got his rod out and began baiting up, you did the same, standing besides him. The two of you cast out, going in opposite directions. You decided to break the silence.  
"So when are you going to start speaking to me in English?" You asked him.   
_"Soon, maybe,"_ Javier shrugged.  
"I hope you just said soon,"   
Javier nodded at you.  
"Oh lovely! Nice to know there is a light at the end of the tunnel," you smiled. 

Javier didn't reply as he managed to get a bite. You had heard he was a good fisherman, but didn't expect him to catch anything within seconds of him reeling out.   
He reeled in a decent sized fish, unhooked it, and placed it into the bag beneath his feet. 

The afternoon continued to drift by as the two of you fished in silence. Silence wasn't that bad, you guessed it wasn't as different as the two of you talking, considering you never understood what he was saying. The two of you had reeled in a decent amount of fish, all going to be ruined by Pearsons cooking later.  
You saw in the corner of your eye Javier yawning.   
"Want to head back soon?" you asked him.   
_"Five more minuets,"_ Javier replied.   
You recognised that 'cinco' meant five, and minutos clearly meant minuets. So you assumed he said 'five more minuets.'   
Your translating train of thought came to a halt as you felt a harsh tug on your rod, much harder than any you'd ever felt. Javiers eyes snapped open as he saw you get pulled forward slightly by your rod.   
_"That's a big bite,"_ Javier said as he watched you panic and begin to reel in the monster of a catch.   
"Oh shit!" you yelped as it yanked you forward again, almost knocking you over. "A little help please, Javier!"   
Javier dropped his rod and rushed to stand behind you, arms reaching round to grab a hold of your rod, one of them on top of your own. You could feel Javier tense up as he helped pull on the rod, the two of you surprised by how much this beast of a fish was fighting. Javier let out short pants, his breath tickling your neck. You became too aware on how much he was pressed up against you. It felt like he was using helping you out as an excuse to press up against you, and you definitely didn't mind. 

Another harsh tug snapped you out of your daydream as you were yanked forward again. Javiers quick reaction saved you from falling into the lake as he quickly grabbed a hold of your waist. His hand quickly went back to helping you reel in your catch, clearly not wanting to cross too many lines.  
You felt your back press against his shoulder as you leaned back. The two of you fell to the floor as the line snapped, maybe you shouldn't have put some more weight onto the rod. You felt Javier hit the floor underneath you, your back against his chest as you fell on top of him. You were quick to roll off him, looking at him to see if he was alright.  
"Shit! Sorry! I didn't mean to squish you," you said to him.   
_"I'm fine. I can't believe he got away,"_ Javier replied, leaning up to prop himself up on his elbows.   
You couldn't help but laugh about it. Javier smiled at you, glad you were enjoying yourself.   
"It's a shame we didn't catch it!" You said as you laughed.   
_"Next time,"_ Javier said as he stood up. 

Javier offer you his hand to help you up, to which you gladly accepted. You couldn't help your chest feel warm as his skin pressed against yours, rough palms against each other.   
Once you were up, Javier let go. It felt like he was embarassed, maybe awkward. You questioned what his feelings were toward you, if maybe he viewed you as more than a friend.   
Javier picked up his stuff and whistled for his horse, you did the same. The two of you had a quiet ride back to Clemens Point, though talking wouldn't make much difference.

By the time you were back, the sun had almost set. Whilst away, Dutch had announced they were going to have a party tonight.   
It was nice to see everybody so lively for once. They were always lively, and drunk, but something was different about tonight.   
You wandered around the party, helping yourself to the beer crate whenever you passed it. You felt a comfortable tipsy level, and more social and friendly than usual.   
John had spent a long while drunkenly telling you how glad he was that you'd joined the gang, and how well you fit in here. Sean jumped in to the conversation and heavily agreed with him, saying you're a 'lovely lass,' and that hes glad you decided to stay. You couldn't help but smile as the two of them praised you.   
In the distance, you saw a familiar figure sat alone at the table. You excused yourself and went over to them. 

"Need some company, Mr Escuella?" you asked him as you approached.  
_"I always need your company, beautiful," _Javier replied as he gestured for you to sit down at the table. You took your seat.   
"Why are you sat all alone?"   
_"I'm just thinking." _  
"Something on your mind?" You asked. He nodded.   
_"I wonder how to start talking to you. I can't help being nervous around you. You drive me crazy."_  
"Ah, Javier. When will you learn that I don't understand what you're saying?" you sighed in a jokey tone.   
Both of you looked over your shoulders at the sound of Dutch turning on his phonograph and turning it all the way up. He asked Molly to dance with him, who obviously accepted. Javier snapped his head back around to look at you.   
_"Do you want to dance with me?"_ he asked you.   
"Sorry Javi', I dunno what you're saying," you shrugged.   
Javier pointed to the two of you, then to Dutch and Molly.   
"Are you asking me to dance, Mr Escuella?" You asked him.   
_"Yes," _he replied as he nodded.   
"I'd love to," you said. Javier sprung up from his seat and offered you his hand, which you happily accepted and both made your way to the 'dancefloor.' 

Javiers other arm found its way comfortably around your waist, as your joint hands raised slightly. You put your spare arm on Javiers shoulder, enjoying the feeling of touching him and being held.   
The two of you swayed in time with the music, your chests very few inches apart.   
"So, Mr Escuella. Why is it you can only speak Spanish to me?" you asked.   
_"As I said before. You are beautiful and, for once, I am too nervous to speak English to you. I'm worried about ruining my chances,"_ Javier explained, as if you would understand him.   
"Sorry, but I didn't understand a word of that. I think the translating part of your brain might be broken? Is there aything I can do to fix it?" you jokingly asked.  
_"You could kiss me. Or just be mine forever,"_ Javier shrugged.   
You exagerated a sigh.   
"Maybe we're just never meant to speak," you teased.   
_"Do not say that." _  
"You know, when I was a kid, I used to read loads of fantasy books. I read this one where a princess once kissed a frog, and it turned him into a prince. Do you think that would work with you?" You asked him.   
_"I will not become a prince, but I will not refuse a kiss from you,"_ Javier replied as he nodded in agreement.   
"Well then," you said as your other hand left Javiers and found its way around his neck. His other hand met your waist, and pulled you in against him. "I hope this works," you smiled. 

Javier lent in to finally meet your lips, something the two of you had craved for so long. You could feel his arms slip tighter around your waist as he pulled you against him more, as if he had been longing to touch you. His hand came up to cup your cheek, fingers then trailing up to run along your hair, as your lips softly moved against his. He exhaled softly as he pulled away from you, not wanting to cross any boundaries.

"Did it work?" you asked as you slowly pulled away.   
"It did, but I may need another one, just to make sure I don't turn back," Javier flirtingly said. You smiled and wasted no time meeting your lips against his again, this time for much longer. You could overhear someone cheering the two of you on, which made the both of you laugh mid-kiss. 

The two of you pulled away and his hand found its way around your waist again. You rested your head on his shoulder, feeling his cheek lean lightly on your head.   
"Do you want to know a secret, Javier?" You asked him.  
"Okay," he replied. You leaned up to whisper into his ear.   
_"I also speak Spanish."_ You laughed as you felt Javier stop dancing and tense up.   
"You mean.. this whole time?"   
_"Yes," _you replied, laughing.   
_"Oh god, this is so embarrassing," _he pinched the bridge of his nose.   
"You know, I think you're beautiul too. And I've always been nervous to speak to you," you reassured him as you kissed his cheek.   
"Well i'm glad I haven't made too much of a fool of myself," he replied.   
"Eh, only a little bit," you teased, as you lent in to kiss his lips once again, knowing this kiss would be far from the last.


End file.
